This invention concerns snowshoes of the type having a boot binding secured to the snowshoe, either permanently or removably. Specifically the invention encompasses a snowshoe binding with a footbed having flexibility to allow the user's boot to flex in the natural way as steps are taken in use of the snowshoe.
Snowshoe bindings, and bindings for cleats or other terrain-engaging footgear, are shown in Atlas Snowshoe Co. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,440,827, 5,918,387, 6,374,518, 6,401,310, 6,526,629, 6,694,645 and 6,694,646. U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,491 disclosed a contoured footbed in a boot binding (the term “boot” as used herein refers to a boot or a shoe). U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,646 disclosed a snowshoe harness with buckles and straps configured such that a single pull can tighten the harness down over the boot, and including toe area and arch area straps whose tails were connected together as a loop, such that the user need only pull on the loop. As shown in nearly all the above listed patents, a heel strap is provided to secure the user's boot in the binding, to prevent against pulling back of the boot from the tightened toe and arch areas on the binding during use of the snowshoe or cleat device.
Generally a user's boot is bound in a principally immobilizing manner to a snowshoe binding, by straps at the toe area, over the arch area and around the rear of the boot, on a footbed that is basically inflexible. This binding system has worked well, but it would be desirable to afford the user greater comfort and ease of use by allowing the boot to flex in the natural manner, at the metatarsal phalangeal joint of the foot, as occurs when normal steps are taken.